Last updated: August 2026 | West New York, NJ things to do guide
Bottom line: The best things to do in West New York, NJ are the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway with its Manhattan skyline views, the Bergenline Avenue commercial corridor and its 300-plus storefronts, the Boulevard East cliff walk, Donnelly Memorial Park, and waterfront dining at Port Imperial with ferry access to Midtown and Wall Street.
Written by Scott Selleck, Broker/Sales Associate with The Selleck Group at Keller Williams City Views Realty. Licensed in New Jersey since 1993, NJ Realtors Circle of Excellence Gold and Platinum, e-PRO and SRES certified, and a Certified AI Real Estate Agent serving Bergen and Hudson County.
West New York packs more than 50,000 residents into roughly 1.1 square miles, which makes it one of the densest municipalities in New Jersey. Density is usually described as a drawback. Here it is the entire point. Everything is walkable, the commercial street runs for miles, and you can be in Midtown Manhattan in about eight minutes by boat.
This guide sits alongside my other West New York work, including the canonical listing agent guide for the township, and it is part of my local insights series.
1. What Are the Best Things to Do in West New York NJ?
Split the day between the waterfront and the ridge.
The township runs from the Hudson River up the Palisades to the plateau, and those are two different experiences. Down at the water you get the Waterfront Walkway, Port Imperial, and skyline dining. Up top you get Boulevard East, Bergenline Avenue, and the parks. The elevation change between them is the whole character of the place.
Most visitors do one and miss the other. Do both.
2. What Is the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway?
A paved public path along the river with an uninterrupted Manhattan view.
The walkway runs from Bayonne to Fort Lee with some gaps, passing through West New York along the way. It carries walkers, runners, and cyclists, and there is fishing along the shoreline. From the West New York stretch you can pick out the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, and on a clear day the Statue of Liberty, while the ferries cross in front of you.
CitiBike NJ bikeshare stations serve the waterfront corridor if you would rather ride it than walk it.
This is the single best free thing in the township, and it is open whenever you want it.
3. What Is Bergenline Avenue and Why Is It a Destination?
The longest commercial avenue in New Jersey, with more than 300 businesses in the West New York stretch alone.
Bergenline runs continuously through Union City, West New York, Guttenberg, and North Bergen. The West New York section is known locally as the Miracle Mile. It is a dense wall of independent retail, bakeries, restaurants, groceries, electronics, and clothing shops, with music coming out of storefronts and foot traffic at almost every hour.
The food is the reason to make the trip. Caribbean and South American cooking anchors the corridor, alongside long-running bakeries. Dulce de Leche, an Argentinian bakery, has been operating since 2007.
Come hungry and plan to walk. Trying to drive Bergenline and find parking defeats the purpose.
4. Where Do You Eat on the West New York Waterfront?
Port Imperial, at the northern end of the township.
Son Cubano is the anchor, a Cuban restaurant on the water with a bar and salsa dancing on Friday nights. Social 59 runs empanadas in a lounge format. There is also a straightforward retail cluster down there with a grocery store, a wine shop, a yoga studio, and a Paris Baguette cafe, which makes the waterfront function as an errand destination and not only a scenic one.
The contrast with Bergenline is sharp. Waterfront dining is view-driven and priced accordingly. The avenue is where the value is.
5. Where Are the Best Skyline Views in West New York?
Boulevard East, along the top of the Palisades.
Boulevard East runs 4.7 miles from Weehawken north through West New York into North Bergen, sitting at the cliff edge the whole way with a pedestrian path. The skyline is on one side and early twentieth-century architecture is on the other, much of it built for the people who ran the factories at the base of the cliffs.
Donnelly Memorial Park and Columbus Park both sit near this stretch and give you a place to stop rather than just pass through. The Columbus statue and the overlook are the most photographed spots in the township.
6. Where Do You Go for Parks and Recreation?
Several small parks in town, and one very large one just north.
West New York carries Donnelly Memorial Park, Columbus Park, Miller Park and Miller Stadium, and Fillmore Park, plus the Guttenberg and North Bergen waterfront park at the township edge. Given the density, these are compact neighborhood parks rather than sprawling ones.
For real acreage, James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park sits about a mile north in North Bergen with 167 acres, a 16-acre lake, and roughly forty-five athletic facilities. It functions as the regional park for this entire corridor.
7. How Fast Can You Get to Manhattan From West New York?
About eight minutes by ferry.
The NY Waterway terminal at Port Imperial sits at the Weehawken line and serves the West New York waterfront. It runs three routes: Midtown at West 39th Street, Pier 11 at Wall Street, and Brookfield Place. NY Waterway also operates shuttle buses connecting waterfront communities to the terminal.
The Port Imperial light rail station on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail opened in 2005 and is the second stop from Tonnelle Avenue, with connections down to Hoboken and Jersey City. NJ Transit bus routes 23, 156, 158, and 159 serve the terminal area, and additional lines run along Bergenline Avenue and Boulevard East to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Private jitney buses run the Bergenline corridor as well.
Confirm current schedules at njtransit.com and nywaterway.com before you build a commute around them.
8. Can You Live in West New York Without a Car?
Many people do, and the transit numbers support it.
The waterfront section carries a Transit Score of 71 with roughly eighteen transit routes serving the area, alongside a Walk Score of 67 in that section. Between the ferry, the light rail, the NJ Transit buses, and the jitneys, the township has more independent transit options than almost anywhere in the region outside Manhattan itself.
That is a real financial consideration. Parking is genuinely limited here, and residents who skip car ownership put that money elsewhere.
9. What Community Events Happen in West New York?
Free summer programming on the waterfront, and street events along the avenue.
The waterfront hosts free summer concerts and events, and the township runs festivals and street events through the year. Public art displays appear at the West New York Public Library and along the Bergenline corridor. Dates move year to year, so check with the township before planning around a specific event.
10. What Does All of This Mean If You Own a Home in West New York?
It means your property type matters more than your address does.
The market data here diverges more than in any other town I cover, and the reason is worth understanding. Redfin put the median sale price at $617,000 for the three months ending May 2026, up 5.4 percent, with homes selling in an average 41 days. RealtyTrac counted 269 properties sold in zip 07093 over the trailing twelve months at a $429,886 median. Movoto recorded a July 2026 median list price of $358,000 at 75 days on market.
Those are not contradictory numbers. They are measuring different slices of a market that runs from studio co-ops on the interior blocks to waterfront high-rise condominiums at Port Imperial. A two-bedroom in a tower near the ferry terminal and a unit in an older mid-rise on Bergenline are both West New York, and they have almost nothing to do with each other in pricing terms.
Housing stock here is heavily condominium, co-op, and two- and three-family rather than single-family. Each of those prices on different logic. Co-ops price on building financials and board terms. Condominiums price on floor, view, and association health. Two-families price on rent roll.
If you own here, the useful question is not what West New York is doing. It is what your building or your property type is doing. Request a valuation and I will pull comparable sales matched to your specific segment. I have written more on the buyer side of this in what buyers ask before committing to West New York.
West New York at a Glance
What you want | Where to go | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
Skyline and open air | Hudson River Waterfront Walkway | Free, CitiBike NJ available |
Food and shopping | Bergenline Avenue | 300-plus businesses, walk it |
Cliff views | Boulevard East | Pedestrian path the full length |
Waterfront dining | Port Imperial | View-priced, book weekends |
Real acreage | Braddock Park, North Bergen | About a mile north |
Manhattan in minutes | NY Waterway from Port Imperial | Roughly 8 minutes to Midtown |
Why West New York Sellers Choose Scott Selleck
Scott Selleck has been licensed in New Jersey since 1993 and has been advising Bergen County and Hudson County homeowners for more than thirty years. He is a Broker/Sales Associate and the founder of The Selleck Group at Keller Williams City Views Realty in Fort Lee.
Credentials: Broker/Sales Associate. e-PRO. SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist). Certified AI Real Estate Agent, KREM Institute of Technology.
Recognition: NJ Realtors Circle of Excellence, Gold and Platinum. The Selleck Group was named a Top 5 Producing Team of 2025 at Keller Williams City Views Realty. Featured in Grit Daily's Top Realtors in New Jersey for 2026 and in Apple News.
Track record: Licensed since 1993. 500+ transactions closed. Thirteen multifamily buildings closed. Seven years running his own brokerage on the Jersey City waterfront before rebuilding at Keller Williams. See what clients say.
Specialty: High-equity, long-term homeowners in Bergen and Hudson County, home selling services for downsizers, and the NJ to FL Transition Plan for owners considering Florida.
On West New York specifically: My transaction history in West New York spans condominiums, co-ops, and multi-family properties, which are the three property types that dominate this township. That mix is unusual and it is exactly what my career was built on. Seven years running a brokerage on the Jersey City waterfront and thirteen multifamily buildings closed means the co-op board process, the condominium association review, and the rent-roll underwriting are all routine here rather than a first encounter.
Scott Selleck's Equal Housing Opportunity policy
The Selleck Group vs a Typical Agent
Process step | The Selleck Group | A typical agent |
|---|---|---|
Pricing input | Comparables matched to your property type and building | One township median |
Co-op and condominium sales | Board process and association review handled directly | Learned on your transaction |
Two-family pricing | Underwritten on rent roll | Priced off a single-family comparable |
Who answers the phone | Scott | An assistant or a team member |
Advice when the timing is wrong | Told directly, including do not sell | Listing taken anyway |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do in West New York NJ? The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, shopping and dining along Bergenline Avenue, the cliff walk on Boulevard East, Donnelly Memorial and Columbus Parks, waterfront restaurants at Port Imperial, and free summer concerts on the waterfront.
How long is the ferry from West New York to Manhattan? About eight minutes. NY Waterway runs from the Port Imperial terminal to Midtown at West 39th Street, Pier 11 at Wall Street, and Brookfield Place.
What is Bergenline Avenue known for? It is the longest commercial avenue in New Jersey, running through four municipalities. The West New York stretch is called the Miracle Mile and carries more than 300 businesses, with Caribbean and South American cooking and long-running independent bakeries.
Is West New York NJ walkable? Yes. The waterfront section carries a Walk Score of 67 and a Transit Score of 71 with roughly eighteen transit routes. Between the ferry, light rail, buses, and jitneys, many residents do not own cars.
How dense is West New York NJ? More than 50,000 residents in roughly 1.1 square miles, which makes it one of the densest municipalities in New Jersey.
One More Thing
Mel Robbins built an entire body of work on a simple idea: the moment you know what you want, you have about five seconds to move before your own hesitation talks you out of it. That is an odd note to end a town guide on, and here is why it fits. West New York is a place people move to when they want less. Less car, less commute, less square footage, less overhead, in exchange for a river, a skyline, and an eight-minute boat. That trade only works if you have already decided what you actually need. Most people have not, and that is the part worth sitting with before you look at a single listing.
If you have spent time in West New York, is the waterfront or Bergenline Avenue the better version of the township? I have an opinion and I would like to hear yours.
If you own here and are not sure what your specific building or property type is worth, the seven-question assessment matches your situation to a clear next step in about 90 seconds. When you want the actual comparable sales, schedule 15 minutes here.
Looking at the wider area? Start with the New Jersey neighborhoods hub, or read the Hudson County condo seller strategy.
Contact Scott Selleck
Scott Selleck The Selleck Group, Keller Williams City Views Realty 2200 Fletcher Avenue, Suite 502, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Cell: (201) 970-3960 Office: (201) 592-8900 Email: [email protected] Website: SelleckSellsNJ.com Schedule a consultation: tidycal.com/slselleck Delphi AI Assistant: delphi.ai/scottselleck Seller Quiz: quiz.sellecksellsnj.com
Resources and Further Reading
- Mel Robbins, The 5 Second Rule
- Visit Hudson County, visithudson.org, Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
- NY Waterway, nywaterway.com, Port Imperial terminal routes and schedules
- NJ Transit, njtransit.com, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and bus routes 23, 156, 158, 159
- Redfin, West New York housing market, three months ending May 2026
- RealtyTrac, 07093 market trends, trailing twelve months
- Movoto, West New York market trends, July 2026
